Paralyzed
by Take this to Heart
Summary: Sometimes Camille wonders what it would feel like not to slap him.


_a/n: I'm not sure if I'm completely 100% on the Camdell ship, but I think they'd be adorable and am NOT under the impression that Kendall is gay, so here goes! Hope you like it, and tell me what you think! _

* * *

><p>Sometimes she wonders what it would feel like not to slap him.<p>

Sure, it's nice to be able to have a go-to rehearsal buddy who doesn't (usually) mind getting slapped; and one can never hone their slapping skills enough, but sometimes Camille wonders what it would be like to rehearse a love scene with him.

She never imagined it would feel like _this_.

His skin is smooth and warm, and a rugged five o'clock shadow is teasing her palm because it's very late and he didn't have time to shave that morning. His mouth is slightly open, his eyebrow cocked, because Camille didn't think to tell him that this scene had no slapping involved, just a tender caress along his jaw. Her hand's curiousity has finally been been satiated, and she lets it fall away from his cheek, her fingers trailing along his skin for just a little longer than strictly necessary.

He blinks once, twice, three times; his green eyes are still boring into hers.

"Thanks Kendall," she says, turning abruptly to leave. "You're the best."

"I know," he jokes from behind her, and she turns back to find the trademark dimple dancing at the corner of his mouth and his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans.

She can't resist the smile that spreads along her face.

"Hope you get the part," he says softly as she turns to leave again, and she pauses at the elevator doors, tossing him another smile and a quick wave.

"Me too," she murmurs, as the elevator slides shut and she's left looking at stainless steel doors rather than Kendall.

Sometimes she wonders what it would feel like to kiss him.

* * *

><p>"Dude, get up."<p>

"Dude," Kendall moans sarcastically from his bed, "shut up."

Something tugs at his blankets and Kendall grunts and pulls them tighter around his body.

He hears an impatient huff from Logan. "Gustavo wanted us in early today, remember?"

A hair dryer whirs to life from somewhere else in the apartment.

Kendall peeks out from under an eyelid. "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty."

He groans again, wishing he could stay under his warm blankets forever.

"Why are you so tired, man?" Logan asks, and Kendall sighs.

"I was helping Camille practice for an audition last night," he mutters. "And, you know, there's also the fact that we're waking up at an ungodly hour."

Logan chuckles and Kendall faintly hears Carlos complaining about James hogging the bathroom.

He rolls tiredly out of bed, looking blearily at his friend. "How long have you been awake?" he asks incredulously, because he looks way too energized and ready to go.

Logan rolls his eyes and turns to leave, ignoring the question. "Hurry up, we're leaving soon."

Kendall groans and stumbles to the mirror hanging above his dresser, running his hand tiredly through his hair. Never again would he help Camille practice late at night if he had to get up early, no matter how much she begged or pleaded. Although, he has to admit, he likes Camille's cool fingers pressing softly against his jaw much more than he likes the sting that her slaps always leave him with.

"Kendall!"

"I'm coming!" he irritatedly shouts.

Hey, it isn't his fault he's not a morning person.

* * *

><p>"It is <em>not <em>my fault if we're late."

She hears his voice floating down the hall, and instantly looks up from her script, her morning brightening considerably.

"Dude, it is totally your fault!"

"Come on James, you were the one who took the bathroom hostage."

"Guys, I'm starving. Can we _please _stop at Shipley's?"

"We could have, if Kendall would've gotten ready on time."

"It is _not _my _fault_!" The bickering friends round the corner and Camille roves her eyes appreciatively over a certain someone's grey v-neck and striped cardigan, complete with _those _skinny jeans, and oh jeez, he's wearing a beanie.

She tears her eyes away as they notice her sitting in an armchair and she flashes them all a smile. It was returned by everyone except Kendall, whose eyes widen as he exclaims, "It's Camille's fault!"

Her smile falters. "Hey! What? It was not!"

Logan rolls his eyes and Carlos mutters, "I think we have time to get donuts."

James was the only one to answer Kendall. "Oh, please!"

"It's true!" Kendall exclaims, and she crosses her arms.

"Take responsibility for whatever you did, Kendall," she chides.

"But it really was your fault!" he exclaims. "If you wouldn't have kept me out so late rehearsing, I wouldn't have been so tired, and I could've gotten ready on time."

James claps his hands. "Aha! So you admit it! You weren't ready!"

Camille sighs. "Kendall, do not try to blame me, or next time we can rehearse one of my more violent scenes."

He scowls and shoots her a glare with those eyes that she can't seem to get enough of; she refutes it with a bright grin that makes him cross his arms.

"Not to be rude Camille, but we really need to get to the studio," Logan says, tossing her an apologetic smile.

"And by studio, he means Shipley's."

"Carlos! Why didn't you eat upstairs?"

Camille chuckles, letting her eyes drop from Kendall's. "It's okay, have fun guys," she assures them, waving as the boys troop past her and out the doors.

Kendall's scowl turns into a lopsided grin as he passes her. "Good luck at your audition, Camille," he murmurs.

"Thanks, Kendall," she says, not being able to resist the shy grin that takes over her face.

His eyes squint slightly, and he pauses. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah," she half-lies, because her nerves have nothing to do with her audition.

"Hey, don't be." His voice suddenly gets very soft. "You'll do great. Good luck hug?"

"How could I resist?" she asks, allowing his strong arms to envelope her securely and wrapping her own arms around his slender waist.

He pulls back entirely too soon, trotting away towards the door. He turns after a moment, jogging backwards, a lazy smile playing on his features. "Hey, by the way, I like the scene we rehearsed yesterday much better than any of your 'more violent ones'."

Camille giggles quietly. "Yeah, me too."

An agitated yell of "Kendall!" comes from outside and his eyes widen exaperatedly as he sighs heavily. "They just love screaming my name today." She can't help but think: _Who wouldn't?_ "I gotta go, Camille, before someone has an aneurysm."

"Have fun without me," she teases.

"I'll try."

And then he's gone and she's left staring at the glass doors of the Palm Woods, her fingers twisting together in a knot behind her back, her cheeks slightly pink.

* * *

><p>"Take a five, dogs," Gustavo yells, and Kendall can't get his phone out of his pocket quicker. He's been dying to know how Camille's audition went all morning, and cannot wait one more second to hear about it.<p>

"Who are you texting?" Carlos asks, peering around James' arm to try and catch a glimpse of Kendall's screen. James and Logan immediately become curious as well, and Kendall sighs, pressing the screen into his shirt.

"It's just Camille."

"Why are you hiding it?" Logan asks, slightly suspicious, and Kendall stares in disbelief at his friends.

"You guys have no sense of privacy."

"You're wecome," Carlos says, and Kendall closes his eyes exasperatedly.

"Dude!" James suddenly exclaims. "No way! You like her?"

"What? No!" He's well aware of Logan's eyes boring into the side of his shirt, James' and Carlos' mouths upturned in identical amusement. "We're just friends."

James snorts and Kendall shoots him a glare.

"I swear!"

They drop the subject, but Kendall has a sneaking suspicion that it's only because Gustavo returned.

* * *

><p>"Hey Camille, it's Kendall," he says, like she couldn't recognize his voice anywhere. Instead she just laughs and says, "I know, I have caller ID."<p>

"Oh," he says sheepishly, "right. I forgot."

She giggles again into her phone.

"So, how'd your audition go?" he asks hesitantly, and her eyes drift over to the new script she had received.

"Oh, it didn't go that good..." and she hears the soft sound of disappoint float from his mouth and over the line. "...I just got called back!" She finishes excitedly and Kendall gasps in surprise. "They gave me a new scene to read and everything!"

"Camille! That's awesome! I thought it went bad when you didn't answer my text earlier."

"I wanted to wait until I saw you so I could tell you in person," she admits, feeling a flush of pleasure as she realized that Kendall was worried about her. He was just so _nice_, all the time.

"Well, hey, meet me in the lobby in five minutes, and I'll go over the scene with you." Her breath catches, and Kendall hears the change. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she says softly, chewing on her lip.

"I'm really proud of you, Camille," he says, and his low voice makes shivers run through her whole body.

She's eyeing the script again, because she knows the second page has a kissing scene in it, but Kendall's still talking, and she doesn't want him to chicken out, so she decides to forget to tell him.

There's nothing wrong with a little surprise, right?

She swallows the rest of her doubts and clears her throat slightly.

"See you in five minutes, Kendall."

"Can't wait."

* * *

><p>"Markie," Camille cries, her eyes welling up with tears that tug on Kendall's heartstrings. "Don't leave me!"<p>

He tries to stay in character, he really does, but it's just so hard. "I'm sorry," he says, holding up a hand. "Why is my character named Markie?"

Camille's eyes are staring at him in disbelief. "I don't know. That's just his name."

"I just...I feel like I can't play this character right without knowing what motivated his parents to give him such an awful name."

Camille rolls her eyes. "Shut up and say your lines, or I'm going back to my apartment."

He grins; it's always fun to push her buttons.

"Markie!" she says again. "Don't leave me!"

"It's too late, I already accepted the scholarship," he murmurs, sighing heavily.

"But we haven't even gotten a chance to be together!" she says, oh so sadly.

"But we'll always have our kiss." Kendall clears his throat, which suddenly feels a bit too tight.

Suddenly she's crying even harder than before, and Kendall has to remind himself that she's just acting, because if he breaks character one more time (even if it's to comfort her), Camille might slap him, which seems ten times worse than before ever since he started practicing these new scenes with her. "Ever since I had my accident, I can't remember it!" she wails. "Markie, I need to feel your lips on mine before you go!"

Kendall's eyes widen, and he realizes he really needs to read the scenes before agreeing to do them because the stage directions are telling him to passionately kiss Camille. He clears his throat again, which seems ridiculously dry and tries not to focus on Camille's eyes, as he takes a step forward and fumbles with the papers of the script he's holding.

This has the potential to go very, very bad.

But then he feels a cool hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down hesitantly, and he looks at Camille and realizes she is a _very _good actress and his mind is blank.

Sure, he's thought about kissing her a time or two, but that does not mean that James was right about his feelings. He does not like Camille, and James is never right about things like this, ever.

Her lips press against his and he can't breathe.

This is ridiculous; he has kissed people plenty of times before, he should not have a problem getting his lips to cooperate with what is inside his head, but he is, and it takes him a minute before his arms do what they're supposed to do and wrap around Camille's waist.

As soon as he does that, it's like a dam breaks.

She steps a little bit closer, tugging on his shirt and his lips press a little harder against hers. His arms are suddenly holding her flush against his chest and her teeth are scraping against his lip and then he feels the sparks as his tongue invades her mouth and she sighs and his lips press even harder, and her hands come up to rake through his hair and he'll be okay if he never breathes again on account of Camille being stuck to his mouth.

And the thought crosses his mind that maybe James _was _right, just this once, but he can't focus on this for long because Camille's tongue is swiping across his lip and his brain goes fuzzy.

Sure, he's thought about kissing her a time or two, but he never imagined it would be like _this_.

* * *

><p>His hot breaths mingle with hers as they pant into eachothers mouth, and she hungrily tugs his lip into her mouth once more.<p>

She is _well _aware that this kiss has gone on for _much _longer than the script requires, but she cannot bring herself to break away from Kendall's embrace and Kendall's mouth and Kendall's smell and everything is Kendall, and it is the greatest feeling ever.

She rakes her fingers down his chest, pressing her mouth desperately against his once more because now that she's had him, she can't give him up.

But a whistle and a cough and an "Oh, God" come from the hallway and suddenly she and Kendall are three feet apart and blushing furiously. He's as breathless as she is, but he hides it better and she blinks slowly before panting out, "Thank you, Markie, you've given me a kiss to remember."

James, Carlos, and Logan are all staring in disbelief at her and Kendall clears his throat. "I was just helping her go over her script."

She might die if that's the way he really feels.

James snorts loudly and exclaims, "I was totally right, you're crushing on Camille!"

"Which is against the ex-girlfriend code!" Logan interjects.

"But somehow so right," Carlos finishes and Camille just stares.

"Can we please talk about this later?" Kendall asks them, but the tone of his voice is basically telling them to get lost.

They all mutter excuses, and scurry away, leaving them alone. Camille faintly heares something about corndogs, a date, and homework, but her heart's pounding too loudly in her ears for her to focus on anything.

Kendall breaks the silence after a tense moment.

"We were _not_ just going over your script."

"No," Camille agrees, happy he's not in denial.

He gives her a sheepish smile that makes her heart melt.

"I like you," she blurts out, because she can't keep it bottled up any longer.

"Yeah," he sighs, smirking slightly. "I kind of figured as much. Don't worry, I like you too."

Sometimes she wonders what it would be like to be his girlfriend.


End file.
